If you are doing a puzzle (regardless of puzzle source) online on this site, all you have to do is click the "Ascii" button to the right of the grid. Then follow the instructions in the pop-up window to copy and paste the grid into the message box.

If you have a puzzle from another site or pencil and paper, you can click “Draw/Play” on the left side of this site’s home page to bring up a blank grid. Enter your solved cells, then click “Sweep” to enter the pencil marks. Often the grid will have more candidates in some cells because you have already eliminated some via Locked Candidates and other techniques. Inspect the unsolved cells and remove excess candidates. When you have double-checked to ensure that the grid matches what you have, click “Ascii” on the right and follow instructions in the pop-up window to copy and paste the grid into the message box.

Otherwise, type the grid into Notepad, which uses a fixed pitch font, or into a word processing program, and choose a font that uses a fixed pitch, such as Courier New. Proofread the grid before posting. Select (highlight) the grid and copy it (Ctrl+C). In the forum message box, click “Code”, then paste (Ctrl+V) the grid to the right of the Code tag. Click “Code” again which inserts the tag at the end of the grid.

This method is needed if you want to include symbols in your grid, which some posters do to denote wings, chains, URs and the like.

A properly aligned grid makes it easier for people to analyze your position and may well get you a quicker response.

This is an example of a grid which was first typed into Notepad. It takes less time than it looks like, as once you establish the maximum number of spaces per cell, you get into a rhythm and it takes less than five minutes.